A gift of music to an ailing friend

Sunday, December 17, 2006 - by Dean A. Hoffman

Veteran horseman Dick Williams knows that the best medicine often isn’t what the doctors prescribe.

Williams, 66, is fighting a tough battle against lung cancer at his home in Indiana. His medical team is doing the best it can for him, but the support of family and friends mean as much, if not more, to Williams.

Perhaps the best example of that old expression that “A friend in need is a friend indeed” came from his fellow horseman, Steve Warrington of Maryland.

When Warrington heard that Williams was gravely ill, he quickly booked a flight from Baltimore to Indianapolis to share a few days with his longtime friend.

Like Williams, Warrington, 54, is a name known well wherever harness horses are raced. He’s just a few wins shy of passing the 5,000 victory milestone, and his horses have earned almost $31 million. He campaigned the great pacing mare Sanabelle Island, a winner of more than $1.6 million, during her seven remarkable seasons at the races.

What a lot of people may not know is that Warrington is also a talented singer and guitarist, capable of playing country, bluegrass, rock, and just about anything. He and Williams first met when Warrington was a teenager hanging around Pocono Downs.

“Dick had a great-looking stable there with carpeting, wall plaques, shrubbery in front,” Warrington recalled.

In 1986, Williams called Warrington and asked him to come to the Meadows to drive his pacing colt, Towner’s Big Guy.

“I know you’ll get along with him better than anyone,” Williams told Warrington.

Warrington had six of his own horses in at Freestate, but didn’t want to say no. He did indeed get along with Towner’s Big Guy. That night the colt paced in 1:52.1, tying the world record.

“Whenever Dick and I would meet at tracks or sales we’d get together and sing and play guitar a little,” Warrington said. “Dick loved music and liked to play his guitar. We’d have jam session with our friends.”

After he campaigned Towner’s Big Guy in the mid-1980s, Williams raced Charlie Ten Hitch, a colt he developed for pro football player Mark May. The son of Florida Pro won seven of his eights starts as a 2-year-old and finished second once. He earned $366,499 that season.

Charlie Ten Hitch calmly overcame a recall in the 1990 Peter Haughton Memorial and won over Super Pleasure, who had made a break at the start. The two colts met again later at the Meadows, and Charlie Ten Hitch blew past the pacesetting Super Pleasure in the stretch.

In addition to Towner’s Big Guy and Charlie Ten Hitch, Williams campaigned Raintree’s Hope, Thorpe Marge, and Noble Rogue as a 4-year-old. He drove the mighty Young Quinn to victory in the Provincial Cup, and drove Spearmint in the 1975 Hambletonian, which was won by Bonefish.

Ohioans will remember such horses as Quickster, Hedgerow Will, Coalmoor, and Dartmoor that Williams raced.

Dick Williams grew up in a racing family as his father was a prominent trainer and starter. Among the top horses the senior Williams raced were Lord Steward ($338,831) who retired as the richest Standardbred ever. Others were B’Haven, Reba Byrd, and Highland Ellen. He drove Bengazi in the ’53 Hambletonian, and campaigned the ’51 Hambo winner, Mainliner, as an aged horse.

Just as he inherited his love of the sport from his father, Dick passed on his passion to his son Rich, the presiding judge at Raceway Park. Rich’s wife Donna is a USTA tattoo technician.

When Warrington heard that his longtime friend was sick, he wasted no time in getting out to see him.

“His son Rich got together some other musicians from Indiana and we had a great time playing for Dick,” Warrington said. “Dick likes all kinds of music, but his favorites probably are Marty Robbins and that song ‘I’ve Been Everywhere,’ by Hank Snow.”

Steve Warrington has been everywhere in his career, and his recent trip to Indiana was an early Christmas present to the Williams family.

‘Words cannot express how much Steve’s visit meant to all of us,” Donna Williams said. “Steve is a gifted horseman and a gifted musician. His birthday is Christmas Day and I think that is appropriate because I think Steve Warrington is a gift from God to all us who have known him in any capacity.”

Currently, Dick is unable to take calls from friends, but cards or letters would be much appreciated. His address is 326 Tingler Rd. E, Richmond IN 47374

Source: USTA Website (12-17-06)